The Salina Journal from Salina, Kansas · Page 42

Tattletales The Salina Journal Entertainment Sunday, April 7,1965 Page 2 Are George C. Scott and his wife going through a bitter separation and divorce? — Z.L. No. Scott and'his spouse, actress Trish Van Devere, have separated — in a physical rather than marital sense. She's resumed her career and recently made a feature movie ("Uphill All The Way") and a TV guest shot on "Highway to Heaven." Trish says her marriage to Scott is anything but uphill. "We don't have to have an extraordinary togetherness to be together," she says. Good thing since Scott is spending a lot of time in Yugoslavia starring as Mussolini in a seven-hour NBC-TV movie series. Van Devere says she and Scott have been together 14 years (12 as husband and wife). So by now a break in the marital routine is welcome, especially since she gets to make an occasional visit to his eastern European location. George C. Scott David Copper!ield David Copperfield is one of the top magicians around. He's well known for making big things — like a seven-ton jet and the Statue of Liberty — disappear right before the eyes of stunned on-lookers. Despite these grand feats, Copperfield feels that his greatest magic is the work he has performed off-stage to help the disabled. Copperfield has designed a program in which teams of magicians and occupational therapists teach magic tricks to disabled patients to aid in their rehabilitation. The innovative form of therapy is called Project Magic. The actual process of learning the tricks is designed to help improve dexterity, coordination, visual perception, understanding of spatial relationships and cognitive skills. "Another, and perhaps more important benefit is that it motivates the patients' therapy and helps them build self-esteem," Copperfield says. "There's a great potential for this (similar programs). It will go into a lot of different areas using professionals from the entertainment world and putting them with the medical community to organize programs that are medically sound and have therapeutic value." Has Muhammad All's wife gotten fed up with his deteriorating physical condition and split for Paris to pursue a modeling career? — K.B. Ali's 28-year-old wife, Veronica, is in Paris modeling haute couture for French designer Andre Courreges. I caught up with her during one showing and asked what gives with her marriage. First of all, said the beauteous Veronica, modeling is merely a first step to her ambition — to become (no kidding) an opera singer. As for All, he's by no means on the skids — either physically or financially. He's fully occupied with business concerns. And so, apparently, is Veronica. Veronica All Greta Garbo Your item about Betty Grable's appearance in several movies that were remakes of her own earlier pictures was an eye-opener. Was this unusual? -H.C. Not really. Greta Garbo~starred in "Love," a silent film in modern dress of "Anna Karenina," and also appeared as Tolstoy's ill-feated heroine in a period sound version. The talented, portly, Francis L. Sullivan portrayed Jaggers, the banister, in both the American and British versions of Dickens' "Great Expectations," produced 13 years apart,, ,,.-. <*•<, Wayne Rogers, who rose to fame on M*A*S*H, could have been a lawyer. But, as he says, "Law didn't hold any kicks for me." - What did give him a kick during his college days at Princeton was acting in the Triangle Club, a group of Princeton farceurs that performed all over the East "My only objection was that I had to play a lot of female parts," he says. (Princeton was then an all- male school). "Believe me, I was the biggest, ugliest looking dame that ever walked a stage anywhere." As befits a Princeton grad, he took a job wres- Wayne Rogers tling with bulls and bears on Wall Street. About this same time, his interest in acting was rekindled. "I was invited to see the play a friend of mine was doing — Pirandello's 'Six Characters in Search of an Author.' I sat there mesmerized,"he says. "The activity was all-encompassing — intellectual, physical, emotional. I said to myself, •How do I get into this racket?'" He began studying with Sandy Meisner at the Neighborhood Playhouse, while waiting table at Schrafft's to support himself. After earning his stripes in several road companies and a lot of television work, he had his film debut in the Harry Belafontie movie "Odds Against Tommorrow" and he was urged to try his luck in Hollywood. - . _ He's learned a lot in both the acting and business fields since then. He is a well- known business manager and financial counselor for fellow actors, with investments including stocks and bonds, vineyards, computers and real estate. "Business is the most exciting game I know," he says.. "They say to play winning chess you have to think 10 moves ahead. In business, you've got to think 20 moves ahead." Marilu Henner The fabled bright lights of Las Vegas faded for actress Marilu Henner when she spent five weeks their recently filming the television drama "Stark." She portrays Ashley Walters, a former showgirl turned blackjack dealer who becomes the unwitting victim of a blackmail scheme that backfires. She researched the role by talking to local residents. "I had to learn how to deal cards, of course, so they got a dealer to coach me and set up a board in my hotel room so I could practice," she says. "I also talked to showgirls to see what their lives are like. "What I found out is that they're just working people, no different from any place else. They go to Las Vegas because they can make pretty good money there, and also because it's a fast-moving town. There are a lot of transients. It's a good place to go when your life is in transition. You can stay there while trying to find the center again, and then move on." Henner likes to keep moving herself. Working almost constantly, she stars in the motion picture, "Johnny Dangerously," and has two more due out soon — "Perfect" and "Rustler's Rhapsody." The Chicago native portrayed Elaine Nardo for five seasons in the TV series "Taxi." She says she didn't gamble in Las Vegas, but the job had other benefits. "I was able to learn the city well, which is always nice, and I fell in love with the cast and crew. Working on this show was like a labor of love." All in all, she says, "it was like hitting the jackpot." Brooke Shields How come we don't see any more of these sexy jeans ads featuring Brooke Shields? Has she come to her senses and scrapped those vulgar blurbs? — E.H. Let's just say that, something has come between Brooke and the designer who created her first line of jeans. And that something has to do with money. Seems Brooke is about to launch a collection of jeans under her own name, and not that of her former designer-patron, Calvin Klein. So it looks like we'll soon be seeing Shields looking as provocative — and as competitive — as ever .pushing her own line of tight-fitting jeans.